The Chase
by Dixieland Delight
Summary: Who's chasing Kate in the park, and why are the two of them discussing making out on the benches?


THE CHASE

_"Don't refuse to go on the occasional wild goose chase- that's what wild geese are for."_

_-Anonymous_

Kate Todd leaned forward, throwing herself even harder into her running. Her breath came out in sharp puffs of vapor, tennis shoes striking the pavement in sharp slaps that punctuated the haze of mist surrounding her as a prickling burn spread through her lungs and blood pounded through her veins. A sudden jolt of adrenaline tingled through her, down her spine and to her fingertips as she increased her speed again.

The harsh sound of a second pair of shoes beating on the concrete, coming up behind her, sent her veering left onto the grassy field that stretched for hundreds and hundreds of feet to where a line of trees signaling the forest jutted abruptly from the ground. Kate's pursuer continued to follow her, this indicated by the thump and swish of feet on soft grass close in the range of her field of hearing.

She hurled her body forward in a last-ditch attempt to shake off the man- the footsteps were far too loud and fast for another woman- following her. Breath coming in short gasps now, she swerved left and right, heading for the far edge of the field and dodging along the treeline.

After a few moments, she realized that the footsteps had stopped, and she slowed, craning her neck around. No one was there. Slightly unnerved, she began to jog slowly backwards towards the path. When nothing happened, she halted again, taking one last look around. Sighing in annoyance, she turned again and began to run towards the border of the grassy meadow.

It took only four seconds. Four seconds and Kate was lying in the grass, tackled by the man who had run after her. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and wrestled with him for a few moments, both of their visions obscured by the green of the grass and the dark locks falling in their eyes. Kate struggled in the man's grasp, finally gaining an advantage and rolling over so that she was in control. She was overtaken soon, though, by strong arms gripping her at the elbows and turning her over so that she lay on her back again.

"Gotcha," Tony said, grinning cheekily from where he lay beside her.

Kate moaned, rubbing her side.

"I told you to play nice. Taking me out in the middle of a great big field is not playing nice."

"It was your idea to race."

"No, it was my idea to leave you here in the dust and go do something better with my time."

"Same difference, Kate."

"Yeah, well, it was your stupid idea to show up at the same park as me."

"Great minds think alike, huh Kate?"

"No, Tony, a great mind thinks up a good idea then a complete idiot poaches it off them."

"Hey!" Tony looked mildly offended for a moment, then grinned again. "Hey, Kate, you know what we should do?"

"Knowing you, Tony, it'll be something like go make out on a park bench."

"Actually, that's not a bad idea, but-" Tony broke off and yelped as Kate flung her arm at him, clouting him in the stomach with her fist and not bothering to remove it again. "If you had let me finish, what I was _going_ to say is that that- that is, what you said I was going to say- wasn't what I was going to say." Kate groaned again.

"I don't even wanna think about trying to figure that one out," she said.

"What I was going to say was that we should go out and get something to eat for breakfast." Kate glanced at him as if to check if he was serious, and upon determining that he was, began to laugh.

"WHAT IS SO FUNNY!" Tony bellowed, looking affronted.

"Let's see here," she said, smirking. "You come randomly up to a woman in a park, chase her, tackle her, say you want to make out on a park bench-" here Tony made a noise in protest- "and then you tell her you should go out for breakfast! Is it just me, Tony, or is there something seriously wrong here?"

"For the record, it was you who brought up making out on a park bench."

"Oh, is that all you have to say?"

"Shut up, Kate."

"You shut up."

"I'll shut up when you shut up."

"Fine."

"Okay then."

"Right."

They lay there side-by-side in silence, Kate's arm still draped over Tony's abdomen.

"Hey, Kate?"

"Yeah?"

"So... breakfast?" Tony tried again, steeling himself for the hard physical blow he knew was coming. There was a pause.

"Sure."

"Sure?"

"Sure."

"_Sure?_"

"That's what I said, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah, but..." Tony trailed off, muttering something under his breath.

"What was that, Tony?"

"Nothing!"

"That's what I thought."

More silence.

"We should probably get up now."

"Yeah," Kate said, sounding unconcerned.

"Come on." Tony pulled himself to his feet and offered Kate a hand up. She eyed it suspiciously, and he sighed impatiently. "I promise I won't just drop you on the ground." Kate took his hand, and he guided her up, holding her just a little too close for just a little too long.

"Tony," she said warningly. He released her.

"Sorry."

"Breakfast," Kate stated.

"Race you out of the park?"

"You better believe it. One, two-"

Kate took off running. "THREE!" she yelled over her shoulder.

"Whoa, hey, totally not fair, Kate," Tony yelled after her, launching into a sprint.

It didn't take long, really. Kate was a formidable match, but she couldn't beat Tony's long legs. Once again, Tony pounded up behind her. This time, he did not tackle her.

He just wrapped his arms around her.

Kate slumped against his chest, her breathing labored. For a few excruciating seconds, Tony thought she would raise her head and scream at him. Instead, he felt her begin to shake. Startled, he craned his neck to get a glimpse of her face.

A tear streaked down Kate's cheek as she laughed helplessly, clinging to Tony for support. She gave way and collapsed against Tony, who nervously patted her back as she went into hysterics.

"Sorry," she choked out. "Just- never mind."

Tony stood there, looking bewildered, until, a moment later, a smile grew on his face.

"Hey, Kate?

"Yeah?" she gasped between giggles.

"You know what movie this reminds me of?"

THE END


End file.
